Battle of Jobourg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Jobourg
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Capture of the Étoile by the Hebrus off Cape La Hogue, Nicholas Pocock
Date 26–27 March 1814 Location off Jobourg, Normandy, English Channel 49°42′N 01°58′W / 49.700°N 1.967°W / 49.700; -1.967 Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	French Empire
Commanders and leaders
Sir Michael Seymour Edmund Palmer	Pierre-Henri Philibert Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars
Strength
1 ship of the line 1 frigate 1 brig	2 frigates
Casualties and losses
14 killed, 26 wounded	40 killed, 73 wounded 2 frigates captured

The Battle of Jobourg was a small but fierce naval battle. It happened between British and French warships in March 1814. This was during the final weeks of the Napoleonic Wars, a huge conflict across Europe.

In late 1813, the French Navy sent two groups of fast ships called frigates. Their mission was to attack British merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean. One French group was defeated earlier in 1814. The second group, made up of the frigates Etoile and Sultane, had already fought some tough battles. They had a close call with HMS Severn and a very intense fight near the Cape Verde Islands.

As the war was ending and enemy armies were closing in on Paris, the French frigates tried to sail home. But a stronger British group of ships found them near France. This British group included the large warship ship of the line HMS Hannibal, the frigate HMS Hebrus, and the smaller brig HMS Sparrow.

The damaged Sultane was quickly caught by Hannibal and gave up without a fight. But Etoile, facing only Hebrus, tried to escape. Early on March 27, Hebrus finally caught Etoile near Jobourg in Normandy, France. The two frigates then fought a fierce battle very close to the shore. After more than two hours, Etoile surrendered. Both ships had many casualties. The captured French ships were taken back to Britain and joined the Royal Navy. This was the last naval battle of the War of the Sixth Coalition. The war ended soon after, when Emperor Napoleon gave up his power.

What Led to the Battle?

By late 1813, the War of the Sixth Coalition was almost over. Emperor Napoleon had lost a major battle and was retreating. Meanwhile, the British army was moving into France. The French Navy had been weakened after a big defeat in 1805. They mostly stayed in port because the British Royal Navy controlled the seas.

British ships kept a close blockade on French ports. This made it hard for French ships to get out. But some small French raiding groups managed to slip through. Their goal was to attack British merchant ships that carried valuable goods.

French Frigates Set Sail

In October 1813, two groups of new French frigates left France. They were ordered to attack British trade ships in the Atlantic. The first group was defeated in January 1814. The second group sailed from Nantes. It included the frigates Etoile, led by Captain Pierre-Henri Philibert, and Sultane, led by Captain Georges Du-Petit-Thouars. These ships were sent to the central Atlantic.

Encounter with HMS Severn

On January 18, 1814, Etoile and Sultane found a British merchant convoy. A convoy is a group of ships traveling together for safety. This convoy was protected by only one British warship, the frigate HMS Severn.

The French ships chased Severn. The British captain, James Nourse, fired his stern guns (guns at the back of the ship) at Etoile. The French ships fired back. Severn was a fast ship, and Captain Nourse managed to keep the French ships at a distance. This allowed the merchant convoy to escape safely. The French ships eventually gave up the chase on January 19.

The Battle of Maio

Battle of Maio
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Date 23 January 1814 Location Porto Inglês, Maio, Cape Verde Islands 15°05′N 23°12′W / 15.083°N 23.200°W / 15.083; -23.200 ("Battle of Maio") Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
United Kingdom	French Empire
Commanders and leaders
George Charles Mackenzie John Eveleigh   †	Pierre-Henri Philibert Georges Du-Petit-Thouars
Strength
2 frigates	2 frigates
Casualties and losses
19 killed, 63 wounded	20–40 killed, 30–60 wounded

After the chase, the French squadron sailed southwest. They arrived at Maio in the Cape Verde Islands on January 22. The next morning, two British frigates, HMS Astrea and HMS Creole, spotted them. The British ships were on their way to Porto Inglês. At first, they thought the ships were friendly. But when the French ships didn't respond to their signals, the British captains realized they were enemy ships and decided to attack.

A Fierce Fight Begins

At noon, the French ships sailed out to sea, with the British ships chasing them. HMS Astrea had some trouble with its sails in the strong winds. HMS Creole took the lead and fired its guns at Sultane. The two ships exchanged broadsides, meaning they fired all the guns on one side of their ship at the same time.

Astrea then joined the fight, firing at Sultane and moving towards Etoile. This helped Creole put out a small fire on its rigging. But then another fire broke out on Creole, and Astrea was badly damaged by Sultane's fire. The captain of Astrea decided his ship couldn't fight effectively anymore and pulled away.

Close-Quarters Combat

Astrea reached Etoile and fired its guns. During a turn, Astrea's helmsman lost control. Captain Philibert of Etoile quickly steered his ship behind Astrea. He fired directly into the back of the British ship, causing severe damage. Captain Eveleigh of Creole was killed by pistol fire during this close combat.

Lieutenant John Bulford took command of Creole. He continued to fight Etoile at close range. But it was clear they couldn't win. Creole was retreating, and Sultane was coming to help Etoile. Astrea was badly damaged and caught fire again. The mast crashed over the side, leaving the ship unable to move.

French Ships Retreat

Even though they were the "winners," Etoile and Sultane were also badly damaged. Their masts were hit hard, and they had many casualties. They were thousands of miles from a friendly port and couldn't make proper repairs. Sultane especially needed temporary repairs and had to use jury masts (temporary masts). They couldn't continue their mission, so the French frigates turned north towards Europe.

The Final Chase and Battle

By March 26, the French ships were sailing east in the English Channel. They were heading for the French port of Saint Malo. At 9:00 AM, two ships appeared out of a heavy fog. These were the British frigate HMS Hebrus and the small brig-sloop HMS Sparrow. They were part of the British blockade of French ports.

Sparrow was so close to the French ships that it immediately came under fire. Its rigging was torn, and sailors were killed or wounded. Sparrow moved closer to Hebrus for support. The British captain, Edmund Palmer, fired at the French ships from a distance. He also signaled for help from the large warship HMS Hannibal, which was nearby.

The French Ships Separate

As the fog cleared, Hannibal could be seen sailing quickly towards them. The wind changed, giving the French ships a chance to escape. The two French frigates separated. The damaged Sultane followed the wind, while Etoile turned southeast.

The British realized that only Hebrus could catch Etoile. So, Hannibal and Sparrow went after Sultane. Sultane was too damaged to escape or fight the much larger Hannibal. By 3:30 PM, Hannibal was close enough to fire warning shots. Realizing defeat was certain, Sultane fired its guns into the sea (a sign of surrender) and lowered its flag at 4:15 PM. Hannibal then captured the French ship.

Hebrus Catches Etoile

While Sultane was captured, Captain Philibert of Etoile was trying hard to escape Hebrus. By 2:00 PM, Sultane and Hannibal were out of sight. Etoile was still three miles ahead of Hebrus as night fell. Philibert turned northeast, trying to get away, but Hebrus was slowly gaining on Etoile.

As the ships passed through a tricky area called Alderney Race, Hebrus gained a lot of ground. It pushed the French ship very close to the shore near the village of Jobourg at 1:35 AM on March 27. To avoid running aground in the dark, Philibert turned and opened fire on Hebrus at 1:45 AM. The frigates exchanged fire as Etoile slowly turned around Jobourg Point.

Captain Palmer of Hebrus tried to fire along the length of Etoile (called raking fire). He passed so close that their rigging almost got tangled. But Philibert responded by crossing in front of Hebrus's bow, causing serious damage to the British ship's rigging at 2:20 AM.

Moving away from land, Palmer was helped by a light breeze at 3:00 AM. He repeatedly passed across Etoiles bow, raking the ship each time. This caused severe damage. By 3:45 AM, Etoiles mizzenmast (the mast at the back of the ship) had collapsed. Fifteen minutes later, Etoile finally stopped firing. Captain Philibert called out to announce his surrender.

Aftermath of the Battle

The French ensign from 'L'Etoile'. This was the last naval flag captured from the French during the Napoleonic Wars. It was given to Greenwich Hospital in 1866 by Captain Palmer's widow.

Captain Palmer's first job was to move both ships away from the shore. A French shore battery had started firing randomly in the dark, hitting both British and French ships. By 7:00 AM, both Hebrus and Etoile were safely moved around Jobourg Point. They anchored near the village of Vauville.

Hebrus had significant damage to its rigging. It had 13 sailors killed and 25 wounded out of a crew of 284. Etoile's main damage was to its hull. It had 40 sailors killed and 73 wounded out of a crew of 327. The damage to Etoile was so bad that Palmer immediately ordered the ship to sail to Plymouth, England. It arrived on March 29. Sultane was in better shape and reached Portsmouth earlier.

Both French frigates were newly built and in good condition. They were both added to the Royal Navy. Etoile was renamed HMS Topaze, and Sultane kept its name. Captain Seymour praised Captain Palmer's skill and bravery in his report.

This battle was the last important naval action of the War of the Sixth Coalition. The Allied armies entered Paris on March 30, and Napoleon gave up his power on April 6. While other naval fighting continued in the War of 1812, and one more battle happened in 1815, the fight between Hebrus and Etoile was the final one-on-one frigate battle of the long Napoleonic Wars.